tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109378176648403566.post8283425894847901918..comments2023-12-26T04:46:33.026-05:00Comments on The Unexpected Twists and Turns: Like Riding a BikeHeatherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10864934440190894300noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109378176648403566.post-16927019331707299012010-06-27T16:39:20.644-04:002010-06-27T16:39:20.644-04:00Wow! Great story. I, too, had a bike with hard tir...Wow! Great story. I, too, had a bike with hard tires, and of course, what girl did not have a bike with a banana seat and high handle bars. Thanks François.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10864934440190894300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109378176648403566.post-10972882326930116272010-06-27T13:09:29.648-04:002010-06-27T13:09:29.648-04:00J'ai eu un premier vélo, rouge pompier, qui av...J'ai eu un premier vélo, rouge pompier, qui avait des petites roues à l'arrière pour m'empêcher de tomber. J'étais terrorisé à l'idée de rouler sans ces roulettes protectrices, d'autant plus que nous vivions à la ville et qu'il fallait aller sur les trottoirs où à chaque entrée de maison il y avait une pente pour permettre aux voitures d'entrer dans des garages que personne n'utilisait vraiment. J''habitais Saint-Léonard, quartier majoritairement italien, et plusieurs utilisaient cette surface fraîche et à l'ombre pour entreposer un vin généralement imbuvable.<br /><br />Mon père a beaucoup insisté pour que je retire enfin les roulettes lattérales. Je ne me souviens pas d'avoir été prêt, mais une bonne journée, il a sorti les "vise-grip" et nous avons passé l'après-midi a essayer de me faire faire du vélo "sans tites-roues". Après avoir passé des heures troublantes, j'ai fini par aimer rouler avec ce vélo. Les roues n'étaient pas sur pneumatique : elles étaient pleines. Je sentais chaque petites bosses.<br /><br />Mon premier grand amour fût mon second vélo. C'était un CCM Mustang 3 vitesses avec siège banane. Brun foncé. Qu'est-ce que j'ai adoré cette bécane. On en voit rarement aujourd'hui des comme ceux-là.François-B. Tremblayhttp://www.bonmelon.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7109378176648403566.post-55758064725351592282010-06-26T16:40:57.815-04:002010-06-26T16:40:57.815-04:00This first comment is from my father, who for some...This first comment is from my father, who for some reason cannot leave a comment. Even though he is half-way through his seventh decade, he still cycles along Vancouver's seawall everyday.<br />Here's his comment. BTW, I don't expect anyone's to be this long.<br /><br />My Dad taught me how to ride when I was ten years old and finally after five years of war time rationing bicycles were available to civilians. Dad had just been released from hospital and the Army. We were living on the North side of Portage la Prairie and the family was back together my sister Charlotte was wee babe and for the first time in five years we were all together.<br /> <br />The story of how the bike was introduced to us was about a Xmas present on the first post war Xmas. The day before Xmas Eve was a time that Mom and Dad gave my brother and me seventy five cents to go to the films and have a pop and a box of Cracker Jacks.<br /> <br />Brother Bob and I would always take a tour of the Eaton's mail order store to look at the toys and the bike that was there. Our hearts sank when we saw the "sold" tag on the handle bars until we read the tag and saw our name and address. Needless to say we were walking on air when we got home. Mom and Dad had thought that leaving the bike at the store until Xmas Eve would prevent us from finding it and ruining the surprise.<br /> <br />I loved that bike and in the spring and summer of 1946 would disappear right after breakfast and wouldn't return until the street lights came on. There were times when I would get as far as thirty miles away from home, a freedom not allowed for kids these days.(I was ten years old)Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10864934440190894300noreply@blogger.com